Reading Between The Signs
by bushybeardedbear
Summary: Lance buys a book from the Earth Store. You'd assume Pidge would be happy to see him trying to learn something. Not so much once she sees the title...


**Reading Between The Signs  
**

The battered softcover was a midnight blue speckled with a spattering of sparkling stars. The title a single word in bold white font; _Astrology_. Spiralling from this title, golden symbols that Pidge assumed were star signs, albeit very simplified versions of them. The blurb on the back, she didn't even bother to read, just rolling her eyes at the black and white photo of the grinning self proclaimed expert on the back. The Green Paladin gave the book a look of burning disgust she usually reserved for stripped screws and bigots. Her eyes came to rest on her friend, his eyes darting over the pages as he absent-mindedly spooned quivering green food-goo into his cavernous open mouth. Mid chew and as he nodded thoughtfully along to the latest page, his gaze met hers. The smile spread from his eyes to his lips in an instant, even as Pidge continued to glare at his reading material with contempt.

"Hey!" Lance's greeting was simple but laced with an unmistakable happiness, "Look what I found at the Earth Store!" 

"Yeah." Pidge unenthusiastically returned, "I see it." She pumped herself a bowl of food goo before sitting herself opposite Lance at the mess hall table. "Please tell me that you at least didn't waste too much GAC on that? It's probably only worth the paper it's printed on. Maybe not even that."

"Nah, we're like Jiren's _best_ customers! He gave me a pretty good deal on it, practically paid me to take it off his hands." He gobbled down another spoonful of the quivering nutrient jelly. "Besides, I thought you'd be happy to see me reading something a little more _scientific?_ "

" _Scientific!?_ " She caught his smirk too late and sighed, "Har." She said. Adding with yet more sarcasm, " _Har_..."

Lance chuckled, "Looks like I got your goat, _Aries._ "

Pidge set her goo-spoon into the bowl, "First off Lance, we're probably Jiren's _only_ customers. I doubt anyone else out here has even _heard_ of Earth _and_ has the free time to go shopping. Where do _you_ even find the time?"

"I'm a very productive procrastinator." Lance smiled, "They've been telling me that since the first grade."

"You don't say." Pidge chanced another gasp of food goo, "Secondly, the reason he wanted to get rid of it at any price is because it's completely worthless! That book is nothing but a load of nonsense. Just think about it for a second. Billions of people born in the same space of days over the course of human history and in multiple different societies. All of them with unique upbringings. Unique lives. Unique genetics. In unique cultures and with unique experiences. Yet, _apparently_ according to astrology, they all share nearly _identical_ traits because _the planets magically made them so_. How can anyone take that _seriously?_ I mean, we're here at _the other end of the universe_ and you think the planets surrounding our single star light centuries away have some mystical effect on _our_ lives or the lives of the species around us? That's _insane_ Lance. In. Sane."

Lance shrugged, "Just keeping an open mind, Pidgey Pie. Not saying I _believe it, but..._ I am pretty Leo. And you're _very_ Aries."

"Call me Pidgey Pie again, we'll have problems." She warned, "As for you _thinking_ we're similar to the descriptions, well, that's because they're worded vaguely enough that you can concentrate on whatever you _like_ and discard or ignore what you _dis_ like. It's not that I'm an Aries and you're a Leo, you're just _projecting_ qualities you already have onto the ones that match and ignoring the ones that either _don't_ match or that you don't like."

"Blah blah, crazy words, blah. Maybe it's just a bit of fun, you ever think of that, _Pidgey Pie?_ " Lance whined, "No need to science away the magic is there? No wonder you hate sunsets."

"Final warning on the name, Lance. And I never said I _hate_ sunsets. In fact on reflection, I can see precisely why they'd be considered at the very least _aesthetically pleasing_. But still, factually speaking they aren't as remarkable or unique as you seem to think they are." She paused, "You even still listening?"

"Oh, totally listening." Lance grinned smugly, "What you're saying is that _I was right._ That sunsets are beautiful. But, you still have to hide that fact behind big words you _assume_ I don't know. Because, you always need to be technically correct, even when you're wrong." He slurped at his less cohesive food goo. "Am I about right?"

Flustered, seething and loathing that Lance wasn't _entirely_ wrong, Pidge grumpily turned away from his infuriating smile.

"Alright, take a listen to these. If you can honestly tell me that when you hear these Leo Traits, they don't _scream_ me? Well, frankly I'll assume you're lying." He cleared his throat, "Leo is driven by their dramatic flair, flam-bo-whaty-cy?

"I'm guessing _flamboyancy?_ "

"Oh yeah, I am a pretty good swimmer." Lance nodded and Pidge smirked, "Flamboyancy and self-expression. They're bold, theatrical..." He paused, scanning ahead.

"Lance, are you _missing something out?_ " Pidge teased, "Something you _don't like?_ " Well, imagine that!"

"It just says here that I can _overly dramatic._ No way _that's_ true..."

"Really?" Pidge scoffed, "You thought you'd just leave the team because you felt like you didn't have a niche." She reminded him, "Seems pretty overly dramatic to me."

Lance raised a hand to correct her, "Well... I... Ok, _fine_ , That's...not _entirely_ unfair... But how would you feel if the only _niche_ that _some people_ think you fill is _team goofball?_ "

"Oh look." Pidge grumbled, "You're being overly dramatic again. I did _not_ mean _goofball_ as an _insult_. How many times do I need to explain this, Lance?"

"Maybe until that makes sense." Lance said firmly, "Of _course_ it's an insult."

"No. I was _trying_ to say you're the one who keeps our spirits up." She shook her head, "Look, I know it's in the past now. But before I found Matt and my Dad, when I was still trying to find the truth behind Kerberos, planning to sneak my way into the Garrison. I wasn't exactly, _happy_ about that whole situation, you know?"

"Sure, that sucked..." Lance frowned, "And I'm glad you're in a better place. But, what's that got to do with me being a goofball?"

"Everything." She let a sigh of frustration escape, "Somehow, even in the middle of all that, I was going through _wozblay_ at the time. And still, _somehow_ you managed to make me crack a few smiles." She searched his expression, looking for some small confirmation of understanding, "You don't exactly pull the Space Dad thing like Shiro, but you find ways to keep us all on track, upbeat, happy. Even at our lowest, you're there to support us. It's just that _mostly_ you do that through jokes. Hence, goofball."

"I..." He smiled gently, "I think I kinda get it now. Sorry, maybe I _was_ being overly dramatic..."

"Well, I'm glad you _finally_ get it!" Pidge returned his smile more from relief than anything, "And yeah..." She added teasingly, "You were being _so_ overly dramatic about it. Goofball."

Lance snickered, "So. That means you're _agreeing_ that my star sign makes sense! Ha!"

Pidge fixed him in a death glare, "I hate you _so much._ "

"No you don't." Even if his gaze hadn't smouldered quite so much, she would still have agreed, "I'm light-hearted and I'm fun-loving and you can't resist my upbeat personality keeping you going through the hard times. You said so yourself."

Pidge yanked the book from his grasp, scanning the part he was reading rapidly before placing it between them, "Huh. Says here you're _also_ arrogant and egomaniacal. Shouldn't leave those two out."

"Yeah, right, I'm not _either_ of those things. Am I?" Lance paused, searching Pidge's smirk. "Am I?" He pleaded softly.

"No Lance, you're perfectly flawless." Pidge laughed even as she said it.

"If I agree with you, I'm only going to _prove_ the arrogance and egomania!" Lance pouted, "Smart ass."

Pidge just nodded with a satisfied grin as she chewed more food goo. She looked to the description and swallowed, "Actually, this one you could learn from." She read aloud, " _A Leo can upstage others, forgetting that each and every person is a valuable member to a team._ See? It's about knowing your value to the team and not being a show off."

"So you _are_ coming around to the idea of me being Leo?" Lance nodded, "Must be my _flair for powerful leadership_ getting the better of you. Convincing you that I'm right _again_." He smirked cheekily.

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day." Pidge reminded him, "Same with this dumb book. Among all the nonsense, there's got to be a _few_ useful things you can apply, just because it's all _just vague enough_."

"Well then..." Lance pointed to a sentence, "Explain this."

"Well, it's _true_ that you just love to be the centre of attention, but I don't see the point you're making."

"What?!" Lance defensively reacted, "No! Above it! Everyone knows I'm a _hopeless romantic!_ "

"Being hopeless with romance and being a hopeless romantic _isn't the same thing_." Pidge smiled at her own wit even as Lance's jaw hung slack.

"Well, now you're just being rude." He huffed, hiding his amused smile. _"Everyone_ knows I'm suave as they come!"

"Suave without any ability to _suaviate_ seems a bit generous." Pidge countered.

"Pidge, are you making up words again...?"

"Suaviate's an archaic - " She paused thoughtfully, "An _older_ word for _kissing._ That's where suave comes from. Somebody with the ability to charm a kiss out of someone. I'm yet to see you pull that off."

"I've kissed and _been_ kissed plenty of times!" Lance prodded at the pages, trying to change the topic before Pidge probed deeper into his little fib. "See this? My charisma is _irresistible._ "

"So this book says." Pidge rolled her eyes, "Yet, here I am, resisting it."

"So there's _something_ to resist?" Lance raised his eyebrows playfully, fluttered his eyelashes, "I haven't even pulled out the A Game Material yet and you _already_ feel like you're _resisting_ something...?"

"The urge to throw up." Pidge nodded, "It'd be a waste of food goo if I let that happen." She looked away from his hurt little puppy eyes, "Obnoxious." She read, "Greedy. Sloppy. Cold-hearted. Jealous. Aggressive. Vain."

Lance's expression subtly shifted from slight hurt to genuine pain. "You don't really think that I'm all of those things, do you?"

Pidge sighed, "No Lance. Not all of them. You can be a _little_ obnoxious, a little vain and _often_ a little jealous. Say if anyone even breathes near Allura." She sets aside a small grumble of her own unexpected jealousy with a frown. "But Greedy, Aggressive, Cold-Hearted, _Sloppy?_ No Lance. Not even a little. Ok?" She hardened her expression again, "Besides, look here. Greedy here, generous here. Cold-hearted here, yet _kind, loyal, protective and courageous_ here. The description contradicts itself! This is my point. All the bits you like, you focus on. The bits you dislike, you ignore."

"Well, maybe..." Lance agreed, "But there's more than a few similarities. Besides..." He flipped a few pages back, took the book in his hands. "Have a listen to Aries. It's _so_ you."

Pidge felt like smashing her head to the table with how he failed yet again to grasp her point.

"Fearless, outspoken, dynamic, spontaneous, fiercely individual, a strong personality and self assured." Lance nodded along with every word, "Extremely generous, they can sweep in heroically and champion their loved ones. Matt and your Dad would agree with that. Aries loves anything new – in your case, technology. I think it's nailed you honestly."

Pidge found herself pausing as she examined the positive qualities Lance had just listed as matters of fact. She searched his eyes for a hint of mockery, some missed barb or slight he was waiting to pounce on her. "You're not kidding are you? You really see me that way? I'm... Honestly, I'm a little overwhelmed."

"Yeah, well it's also got your bad parts too. A little bit brooding? Maybe back in the day, but you came around. Stubborn, sure and always needing to be number one – at least in a debate. Frustrating. Maybe, but only because you can be stubborn. Competitive and love a challenge, yeah. But how's that _bad?_ Often better at starting than finishing. How many projects you got on the go right now...? Aries become angry and anxious when they suppress their emotions, but then doesn't everyone? Honestly though..." He reflected, "All that just sounds like the positive things at the other extreme, right?"

"I...guess so..." She smiled softly at the barrage of kindness. He could be so sweet when he wanted to be. Holding her fast in his gentle gaze, the hint of a smile always at the edges of his lips. Pidge felt her heart warm in her chest.

"This is interesting though. Many Aries secretly like to be babied, coddled and even financially supported. How true is that for you, widde Pidgey widgey? You looking for a sugar daddy to pay for your science projects...?"

Had to go and ruin it, she frowned. "I'm looking for something _solid_ to hit you with, you jerk."

"Your warmth..." Lance paused, " _When you let it show that is._ And your courage are endearing. And this part? It's like it was written for _you_ specifically! Your boyish _slash_ girlish charms are _irresistible!_ And I don't even mind admitting it."

"Don't say stuff like that, Lance."

"You mean, not unless I _really_ mean it?"

" _Especially_ don't say it if you mean it."

"You know, this gives me an idea..." Lance mused, staring into the distance.

"Did it _hurt?_ "

"We should see about our little Pidge's _love compatibility_."

"Why the quiznak would we do that?"

"So I can watch you squirm."

"I don't _squirm_. Hand it over." Pidge snatched, "I can do it myself _and_ take it apart. Right... So..." She thumbed the pages, "Capricorn... Capricron... Hunk..." She scanned the little boxed away paragraph that dealt with the cohesion of their two signs, "Apparently Hunk and I would clash a lot. _Except if we didn't_ and then we'd be great. _Really_ great, supposedly."

Lance smiled as best he could against the unwelcome sinking feeling, "Well at least I know that Hunk's the nicest guy I ever met. If you two hooked up, I know that he'd always treat you right. Two of you together, you're both so smart that you'd probably change the world. Maybe the whole universe..."

"You're _completely_ missing the point, Lance. Look at what it's actually saying. Either we'd work or we wouldn't. It's an utterly non-commital non-statement." Though, picking up on the merest hint of sadness to his tone was a little unexpected. She decided to press the issue, if only out of curiosity, "Why do you even care if he'd treat me right?"

"Don't be dumb Pidge, of course I care about your happiness with your future husband."

"Hunk's my _buddy_ Lance." She rolled her eyes, "Besides, did you forget about _Shay?_ Hunk's distant little rock-cake?"

"Oh yeah. That's tricky. Maybe you two can share him?"

"Polyamory seems way too complicated. _One_ partner sounds complicated and stressful enough. But two or more, you'd start needing colour coded schedules. Can't see any of the three of us going for that." **  
**

"Well, no shock here." Lance tapped on the Pisces compatibility, having read a little ahead, "Shiro reads like a teacher. You're not exactly compatible."

"No offence to Shiro, but that'd be like dating my Dad."

Lance nodded, "But don't Aries _want_ to be coddled? I bet he'd treat you like his little princess."

"Drawing a line under that one." Pidge's tone was firm and not to be questioned, "Now _Scorpio on the other hand..._ Kinda sounds like Keith and I would be good for each other."

"What!?" Lance cries out manically, "You and _mullet ninja!?_ No way, just no _way_ does that make sense!"

"Soul mates, apparently." Pidge smirked at his over-reaction.

"Soul mates...? You and Keith...? Damn..."

"Why Lance, you almost sound _jealous_..."

"That's kinda how the whole _rivalry_ thing works!" He scowled, "Except usually, the underdog _wins_ sometimes."

"Wins?" Pidge smirked, "So if Keith and I got together you'd call that... _a loss_...?" Lance fell silent in her probing gaze. "Well, good news then. On the flip side we could also completely hate each other." She shrugged, "Scorpio and Aries results either in a relationship of absolute love or utter hatred. That makes _total_ sense, right? Do you see what I mean now, Lance? This stuff is _nonsense!_ Though..." She teasingly smiled, "I _did_ like your _jealous_ reaction."

"Well if you liked my so-called _jealous_ reaction so much then...what about Aries and Leo?" He smiled, seeing a chance to turn the tide of this little battle of wits, " _Maybe_ you're just _hoping_ it's jealousy? Maybe deep down, this little lamb wants to lie down with the big strong lion?"

"Lance, you're a kitten, not a lion."

"Kittens are cute. I'll take cute."

"Besides..." Pidge ignored his nonsense, "It _really_ doesn't matter what the books says. By now, surely even _you_ can see it'll just be the usual thing, _either you two will be great or you won't be_. Way to state the obvious."

"If that's all it's going to say, then how about you just humour me?"

"Constantly." Pidge scanned the info, Lance none too casually looking for any reaction from her.

"Large egos clash." Lance read. "Maybe _your_ large ego..."

" _Impatient..._ " Pidge sighed, "Proud Leo needs his ego stroked _constantly_."

"Awww, well sweet little Aries gets annoyed by my _flirtatious nature_ does she?"

"Anyone would." Pidge deflected. Stupid book wasn't wrong, "But me looking to you as a guide? Yeah, _right._ "

"Oh look, Aries will hurt Leo's feeling's by making a careless comment as usual." Lance pouted.

" _Leo_ will just keep being a sulky overly dramatic baby over _nothing._ "

"Leo would _assume_ that _Aries_ would understand since _Aries_ was bullied at school too." Lance paused, "Sorry. I know you don't like to think of that stuff, it's just... Y'know, never mind..."

Pidge glared at him, then her expression softened. "You've got a point, Leo." She points to a passage and smiles, "Look though; _Our differences in opinion never last long_..." She reads tenderly to him. "Isn't that right?"

"Guess so..." Lance agreed, "And this is true too. Aries...helps me believe in myself."

"Leo keeps me focused. Which is weird, because he can be so distracting."

"We're both loyal." Lance smiled warmly, "And, we both care deeply about each other. Least, I think we do."

"You'd be right... _they...we..._ respect and..." She paused on the next phrase.

"Admire each other." Lance finished the sentence, "I admire how smart, brave and confident you are..."

"Guess you've got a few admirable qualities yourself. Kindness, compassion...to name just two..."

"I think this is true too. We understand each other on a deeper level than either of us realise..."

"...and we can let our guard down with each other..."

"...we're like coming home to each other..." Lance laughed softly, "Game nights do kinda feel like being back on Earth."

"Sure, they kinda do don't they?" They pause on the last section before Pidge nervously reads, "We're... _They're..._ like a lover and a best friend all at once..."

Lance smiles shyly to Pidge, "You know...I really like the sound of _all_ of that..." He admits with a blush, "Every word of it..."

Pidge gathered her senses again, "It's just _vague enough_ and _sounds just appealing enough_ to get under your skin."

"So you think it's appealing too?" Lance didn't wait for an answer. "I hoped you would..." He pulled a single Galra coin from his pocket, worth about one fraction of a credit unit. On one side, gibberish and runes he couldn't begin to read and on the other, the profile of Former Emperor Zarkon. "Heads..." Lance calls as the coin tumbles upward, "...and I just go back to my room with this dumb book." He catches the coin, slapping it to the back of his palm. "Tails? I stay right here and you and me? We kiss."

"You don't get to just decide that!" A heavily blushing Pidge complained. "Especially not on the flip of a quiznaking coin!"

Lance smiled, "Coin flip doesn't mean a thing. Really, the way you feel about the result matters most. I don't think we flip coins to make the decision for us. I think we flip them to see if we _like_ the result. What do we do if we don't like the result? We just say screw the coin! We'll do whatever we _really_ want to do."

Pidge nodded, "Sure...that makes sense..." She was sure there was a proper term for it, but all her head could think about right now was his glowing beautiful smile and that word, that threat, that promise, hinging on a stupid coin.

"Same thing with all this..." Lance nodded toward the book, "I'm pretty sure you already said the same earlier actually. Just wordier. All of this is either well worded nonsense _or_ it's what the magical stars say is true. But either way, if we _don't like what we hear_ then we just throw it aside. And if we _like_ what we hear. We go for it. Same deal as the coin." He drew closer, shoving aside the food goo bowls, the spoons and book into a messy pile as he leaned over the table, "And like I said before, I liked the sound of what I was hearing. I liked it _a lot_..."

"There must be something fundamentally wrong with reality right now, Lance. For one, you are making _far too much sense._ And for two." She looked to Lance's hands, clasped about the coin. She could feel her heart racing, her breath growing more shallow and rapid. Two outcomes and only one of them she wanted.

"For two...?" Lance ventured cautiously, all whilst hoping, desperately hoping. He drew nearer still.

"Screw the _quiznaking_ coin." With less than an instant to give in to her doubt, she batted his hands aside. Knocking the Galra credit token tumbling to the ground. Even as it bounced and clattered, her arms had wrapped about his shoulders, his about her waist. As it slowed and rolled, eyes closed and their lips met for the first time, pressing gently together. As it came to rest, the moment had gripped them both tightly. It and all the rest of the world was forgotten. Their embrace mingled, their kiss deepened and from then on their passions would burn as one.


End file.
